Rally of Scotland revs into action with a little help from First Minister and Sir Jackie Stewart

Today (Thursday 19th November) the First Minister of Scotland, Rt Hon Alex Salmond and Sir Jackie Stewart officially start the inaugural RACMSA Rally of Scotland, being held from 19th-21st November. The action-packed Ceremonial Start takes place at the historic site of Scone Palace and will mark the start of three days of high-octane rally action and the final of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

As well as watching the First Minister and the triple Formula One world champion waving the first cars off in style, fans will witness the first two special stages. Both stages are competitive and drivers will be going full throttle through the grounds of the palace in a bid to secure points. As well as rally fans and sports lovers, the evening will also be the perfect entertainment for families thanks to the safe and secure setting of the Palace.

As well as the Ceremonial Start and running of the first two stages, fans will be able to get up close to top drivers at the autograph signing session. The entry list for the first running of the top-class event has attracted some of the biggest names from the world of international and British rallying. These include recently-crowned IRC Champion, Kris Meeke, Scottish Rally Champion David Bogie, Alister McRae and British Rally Champion Keith Cronin.